Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Ministry strongly condemned in a statement on Monday, the terrorist bombings which targeted the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday evening leaving several killed and wounded.

“The ministry offers its condolences to the Turkish leadership, people and to the families of the victims who died in the convicted crime that targeted the institutional legitimacy in Turkey,” said the statement.

Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan said the negotiations happening at the level of forming a new cabinet “have recorded a clear progress,” and the latest contacts gave the “stalled formation a push forward.”

“There is clear progress in the negotiations happening at the governmental level, but the final visualization is to expressed by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. No doubt that the latest contacts gave the formation a push forward,” said Kanaan in an interview to VDL (100.5).

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr pressed charges against four individuals, two Lebanese and two Syrians, over affiliation to the Islamic State terrorist group, the National News Agency said on Saturday.

The suspects were accused of carrying out terrorist acts, preparing for suicide attacks, bombing security forces' centers and checkpoints in close proximity to official headquarters, NNA added.

General Security forces in Mount Lebanon busted 36 African suspects in Beirut's Dora area on charges of residing illegally in Lebanon and for facilitating prostitution, the National News Agency reported Saturday.

“After thoroughly tracking members of the network, comprised of 36 individuals of different African nationalities, General Security Intelligence Units were able to bust the cell and confiscate some amounts of hashish and cocaine in their possession,” NNA said.

The latest meetings between some political parties delved on easing the difficulties hampering the formation of a new cabinet, have not arrived at an adequate solution for the allotment of the public works ministerial portfolio, while Hizbullah insists on the formation of a 30-minister cabinet, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday.

Sources following up closely on the meetings between President Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on one hand and between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh on the other, told the daily that a final decision on the controversial public works portfolios has not be reached.

The Lebanese Army staged wide security raids at dawn on Saturday in the northeastern region of Masharih al-Qaa and arrested tens of suspects, the National News Agency reported Saturday.

The Airborne Regiment, a Land Border Regiment unit and the Army Intelligence staged the raids in the Syrian refugee encampments in Masharih al-Qaa in search of fugitives, NNA added.

The body of a man who has been reported missing 40 days ago was found in the southern city of Sidon with a driver's license next to him carrying his name and place of residence, the National News Agency reported Friday.

The body which carried clear signs of torture, belongs to citizen Haitham Ali Raad (from Bednayel, born in 1965) residing in Beirut's southern suburbs, NNA added.

Hizbullah has slammed as “baseless” reports alleging that the party has pledged not to retaliate against Israeli strikes that hit inside Syria, LBCI reported Friday.

“Media reports quoted Israeli enemy alleging that Hizbullah made a pledge to Russia not to respond to Israeli airstrikes inside Syria...are baseless and unfounded,” Hizbullah media office said in a statement on Friday.

In light of stalled efforts to line-up a new cabinet, Speaker Nabih Berri warned that Lebanon is behind time as for the preparations needed to hold the parliamentary elections as scheduled in June 2017, An Nahar daily reported Friday.

“The tenure of the current parliament ends on June 20, 2017, and the elections must be staged two months ahead. The door closes on the nominations three months before the parliament's tenure ends. The commission overlooking the elections must be formed six months in advance, that is at the beginning of the year,” Berri told his visitors.

Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan said on Thursday that proportional representation together with the reforms proposed to the election law, are the serious solution for the regime's problems.